argued that when a Muslim is embroiled in a terrorist action, the Western media quickly condemns Islam. This criticism of the Western media is wrong. The above difference in reporting is natural. For

community. However, in contrast, Muslim’s so-called mujahideen engage in violence in the name of Islam and ‘Islamic

basics of Islam. They refer to their religion, their holy book, as being matters of national pride. Others engage themselves in show business in the name of Islam. Yet others exploit it for political gain

gain. All these activities, even if they are indulged in in the name of the Quran and Islam, are all deviations from sacred principles. If Muslims persist in engaging themselves in such activities, they

times and the capacity of a high order to engage in ijtihad, that is, creative interpretation of Islamic sources and their application in changed circumstances. Shah Waliullah writes about himself in his

established a tradition of Islamic activism that could have continued for centuries after him. In that way, the “modern age” could have truly become an age of revival for Islam. He was indeed at the juncture

involved in movements to enforce Islamic law assumed that because the majority of the inhabitants of these countries were Muslims, they were, by definition, in favour of Islamic law. This, however, was a complete

Hazrat Aisha, referred to above. Without preparing the populace to welcome and willingly accept Islamic laws, the Ulama have sought to impose these laws, including those related to the consumption of liquor

for the positive development of the human personality. This, in Islamic terms, is called a spiritual revolution. In short, belief in Islam makes accountability to God man’s greatest permanent concern. The

experience at the spiritual level. He becomes a man of God through and through. External Activities The Islamic man is one who, in consonance with his spiritual development, experiences constant intellectual activity

acted on his belief in the power of peace. In the later centuries of Islam, too, this peace formula was followed. That is why Islam achieved such great successes. One prominent example of this matter is

that the Mongols had been defeated, you should not believe it. It was in this situation that the Islamic policy of peace performed a miracle. Muslim men and Muslim women rose to the occasion, engaging themselves

to all posterity. (The Quran, 10:92)Islam and the Modern AgeIslam is a religion of peace, in the full sense of the word. This being so, the question arises: Can Islam, which offers the teachings of peace

position for itself in changed circumstances? The answer is totally in the affirmative. The very fact of Islam being a religion of peace shows that it is an eternal religion. If it had been otherwise, it would

companions of the Prophet of Islam in a negative sense, despite the fact that they were harbingers of a new civilisation. Rabi Ibn Amir, one of the companions of the Prophet of Islam, while talking to Rustm

(7/46) (Al Bidayah wa al-Nihaya Vol. 7, p. 46) In the 7th century, the companions of the Prophet of Islam were the harbingers of a new age. It is a principle of nature that the group that emerges as the harbinger

dawah today from the strongest possible position. Working towards the normalization of relations Islamic dawah at the present time, i.e. communicating the message of God, is so great a task when contemplated

can be of avail only when national regimes do not set themselves up in opposition to the call of Islam. Even where the situation is entirely favourable, dawah can be successful only if the dayees have

of Turkey, requesting him to send Muslim preachers to Japan in order to introduce the Japanese to Islam. Sultan Abdul Hameed chose Syed Jamaluddin Afghani for this important assignment and assured him of

To think that this led to any revision of Islamic law would be- to misunderstand the situation: the Caliph’s order merely constituted an exception to the rule, and was, moreover, of a temporary nature

nature. This aptly demonstrates how the Islamic shari‘ah may make concessions in accordance with circumstances. Each law of the shari‘ah may be eternal, but a Muslim ruler has the power to make exceptions in

was to punish those who were being hasty in finalizing the divorce procedure. It is a matter of Islamic historical record that when any such person was brought before ‘Umar for having uttered the word